Idols in the Church

      Recently I was at a retreat for pastors. It was an informal event, but a pastor from a distant part of the state shared quite seriously about a long (3-year) process his church went through to make a decision to grow their vision and expand their mission by becoming a church that met and worshipped in two locations. He described some of the resistance that arose on the part of people at both locations – one of which was a church about to die and the other in reasonable health. He told of people expressing a lot of fear and of some people becoming very angry and resistant at the changes that were taking place and being proposed. That sounded very sad to me and I asked him what was at the root of the resistance. Primarily, the problems were an over-attachment to the building (where each church met) and a concern about (the loss of) power and control.

       His question through many days of uncertainty was, “What is God’s will?” He asked it over and over again. His major concern was the opportunity to bring the Gospel to a neighborhood in town where the lack of a church presence would leave a great hole in the ministry of the Gospel. The long process resulted in some people leaving the church and many obstacles to be overcome. The financial challenges are ongoing. However, I was inspired this pastor’s perseverance and by the faithfulness of those who could/would see God’s vision. I commented to him that what he shared was a blessing to me because it reminded me that God’s Spirit still tears down strongholds and “high places”.

       The high places of Israel were where the people of God acted unfaithfully toward God by erecting and worshipping idols and calling others to worship them as their gods – in some cases even giving them credit for delivering them from Egypt many years before. The high places became strongholds of evil and idolatry and they were very difficult to eliminate. Most of Israel’s and Judah’s kings didn’t care enough to do anything about them. A few tried, but failed to eradicate them, because they became so entrenched in the spiritual life of Israel. One king – Josiah of Judah – however, was faithful and succeeded. Then there was revival and renewal in Israel. The Word of God was found and read. True worship in Israel was restored – for a time.

       Idols of many kinds can keep us from God, and will always impact us by distracting us from the true worship of God. We worship and focus on them instead. This is one of the goals of our enemy, the devil. If we will just worship created things – any created thing (including ourselves), he will have succeeded in turning us into idolaters – one of the very things God hates most. An idol is anything we care about, love, serve, or give ourselves to more than we do God. And idols (people, activities, goals, even certain good things…) become strongholds – hard to “tear down”. Tearing them down can hurt. But tearing them down is the only solution. And we cannot do it ourselves. Through prayer and reliance upon God, we can see Him do amazing things to the strongholds of sin and idolatry in our lives. But He wants to… and He will, when we repent and turn to Him and leave our “idols” behind. May the Lord help us to identify these strongholds in our lives! May He lead us to reject them utterly and run to Him in brokenness and contrition! And may He raise up in us a new vision for Him and lives of holiness and passion for Him and for His will. AMEN!

Numbers 33:52 (NIV) ⁵²  … When you cross the Jordan into Canaan, drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.

2 Kings 17:9-11 (NIV) ⁹ The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord, their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns. ¹⁰ They set up sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ¹¹ At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the Lord had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that provoked the Lord to anger.

2 Kings 23:8 (NIV) ⁸ Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the shrines…”

PRAYER: “Lord, show me where the strongholds are in my life… my relationships. Pierce my heart with conviction over them and lead to repentance: a repentance of rejecting the idols there so completely that I can embrace You fully and worship You in truth and in holiness. Take away my love for things… for people… for anything that I love more than You. Let me love You wholly.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!

Scott